An axial compressor is typically made up of many alternating rows of rotating and stationary blades called rotors and stators, respectively. The first stationary row (which comes in front of the rotor) is typically called the inlet guide vanes or IGV. Each successive rotor-stator pair is called a compressor stage and hence, compressors with several such blade rows are termed as ‘multistage compressors’.
In existing axial flow fan/compressor rotor blades, the entire tip is leaned (dihedral) in only one direction and an additional lean or bow or dihedral is provided to obtain better aerodynamic efficiency of the blade operation.
However the existing blade designs do not solve the problem of tip gap sensitivity to gap enlargement and the compressor performance is affected by increase in tip gap. During actual operation of the rotor blade, the gap between the rotor tip and the casing changes (often increases) due to various thermal and mechanical stresses. Hot air/gas flowing through the structure expands the casing differentially with respect to the blades and there is continuous gap change taking place during an operational phase of the compressor. When the compressor stops running, the structure cools down relieving the mechanical stresses and the gap reverts to its original value. Thus, the gap is dependent on prevailing (operational) mechanical stresses and thermal expansion of the rotor blade and the casing.